Thailand is taking a major step to develop itself as an international medical convention and exhibition center, as it has good potential for providing world-standard medical and healthcare services.The step is part of the project for the development of Thailand into an academic hub, in response to the Government’s medical hub policy.

Toward this aim, the Department of Health Service Support, under the Ministry of Public Health, recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) on the development of Thailand into a medical convention and exhibition center.

Public Health Minister Prasit Sinthawanarong said that Thailand is well-recognized for its quality of medical services. The Government announced the policy on the medical hub because it would contribute to the country’s economy and help promote medical tourism. The move to develop Thailand into a medical convention and exhibition center would attract more international academics to visit Thailand.

He said that the Prime Minister had assigned the Ministry of Public Health and TCEB, a public organization supervised by the Prime Minister’s Office, to work out a strategy for the medical convention and exhibition center. There are several provinces that can serve as venues for international conventions and exhibitions; they include Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen, Songkhla, and Phuket.

Healthcare is one of the key industries that TCEB has identified in order to expand Thailand’s market for “meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions,” or MICE. In 2012, Thailand hosted about 7,300 events. Out of this number, more than 2,600 were involved with international meetings and 1,900 were MICE activities.

It is expected that about 940,000 MICE tourists will visit Thailand in 2013, bringing in 88 billion baht. In the next three years, the amount is likely to increase to more than 117.7 billion baht.

Among the international meetings organized around the world, 18 percent are related with medicine and healthcare. The Public Health Minister said that the organizing of medical conventions and exhibitions in Thailand would enhance the capabilities of existing medical resources. Thailand would also benefit from healthcare management through the use of modern technology. This would lead to high-quality services and a better quality of life for everyone.

Moreover, he said, through the international conventions and exhibitions, Thailand’s medical knowledge, innovation, and research would be developed and spread more widely in the international community. The conventions and exhibitions will also stimulate tourism and promote cultural exchange.